The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-03
SAVED BY A DREAM:
An Army Surgeons Remarkable Exper-
fence.
From the Chicago News. ]

fence.
From the Chicago NewsI
GALEsBURG, In.-[Letter lin the Daily
News is an account of the solving OF an
intricate problem in mathematics, which
had posed several experts By one of the
parties dreaming it out" The statement
recalling az incident Ia my army eXDeTi-
ences induced me to offer the Daily News
8 parallel case. Being my Own, 1 can
vouch for its correctness.
1t WAS on Grants expedition, essaylng to
flank Vickscurg by Grenada late in De-
eember, 1862. The army had passed OK
ford, Mics, and was encamped along the
Tokonapotalfa, arrested in its progress by
its large store of supplies having been de-
base. There was a delay of several days
while heavy detail, with teams and army
wagons, should proceed to Memphis, Tenn,
the nearest point and return with eliet.
Nearing the close of the year, elab-
crate annual reports were to be
made, IN addition to the daily, monthly,
quarterly and special ones. Al
for clerical and other service, this was a
barren field from which to CLEAN for the
medical department. Before the surgeons
bad Joined their regim ents they had all
been culled Cvea, for clerks in the field
officers offices OF the regiments brigades and
divisions, leaving none competent for that
duty. Consequently, in addition to their
strictly professional duties the ''pspsr
business" of the surgeons Office made its
service multifarioUs and severe; often
forced, by want of time, 10 pass over soma
things which seemed least essential.
While preparing my medical and surg
cal reports, to finish up the year, circular
order 10 all medical. officers of the CORDS sin
charge of regiments, attachments and bat
teries' was received to report in person at
corps headquarters at certain hour and
day. ALI surmlses among us as to what
the whole school was ''called up for
were vain. None knew. Shortly before,
however-and this we guessed 1t meant
we bad all teen notified that if certain
mysterious mathematical calculation re-
quired to be worked out in each OF those
reports were not properly rendered (they
had been universally omitted before), med
ical officers 80 failing would be prompt
orily dismissed the service for incompe-
tency, with loss of accrued pay and al
lowances"-ss the phrase went. Every
one of us had been bitten by the snake.
And yet at that early day of the war, be-
fore the searching examinations as to quail
iications of surgeons had been discon
tipued on account of the rapid depletion
in that department, there was large pro-
portion of literally educated men on the
medical staff Each of us had consulted
with the others about this perplexing
question: the more disgusting, seeing
we were all overwhelmed with the essen
tial affairs of the service. With all it was
eqHally inexplicable. There were several
highly accomplished officers and men in
our regiment, the Fifty-Third Illinois In
fantry, 10 whom algebra and the problems
of Euclid were but sources of pastime,
among the number Col. Daniel f. Hit, of
Ottawa, Surveyor of LaSalle County, civil
engineer by profession; in his early days
engaged in the Government surveys OF Hi
OILS and Iowa. l submitted the subject to
him and others. They labored over it
long and faithfully, but gave it up in de-
spair.
1t is not pleasant to be required to do an
impossibility on pain of deep and lasting
disgrace to yourself, and to family and
friends secondarily. And l was the more
troubled in that feared never should be
able fully to satisfy them OF the actual
reason Of the impending dismissal. To say
l was in dispair on the night before that
meeting fails TO express it. / never so
| longed for anything as that tremendous
| battle might at once ensue, that / might
| have q chance to perish from the earth
and leave behind record
without dishonor. Strange re-
suit: While my whole being
was saturated with what had become
| horror / slept, and in the dreams attendant
my good genius whispered softly in my
ear a clear revelation of the mystery. /
| suddenly awoke with a great sense of re-
| lief. Knowing that however vivid may
/ have been a dream on thus awakening,
| and however you may charge the memory
with its details, it will soon mysteriously
glide out OF it, l instantly lighted nv can
1le and wrote it out. 1t was exceedingly
simple, as is every mystery when solved.
| The difficulty had been in some obscurity
of statement in the proposition.
AS 1 had expected, there was great
CT ncourse OF doctors at corps headquarters.
| It was bedlam of discordant voices argu-
ing and baggling and protesting against be-
ing called to account on mere mathemat-
ical question when they had entered the
service as madical men only; and, as a
yeracious chronlcler. fear that must ad-
nit that good many crooked words drop.
ped out there (for some of those doctors
could swear, although the army regul a.
tions prescribed penalty of 81 an oath
for q commissioned officer, while enlist
ee men get off for 1890.
When the medical director had got the
turbulent sssemblsges Quoted he an
nounced as the special business the recon
Cling of the doubtful proposition; M,
merous solutions were offered. All were
unsatisfactory. At length, getting his
private ear, 1 whispered mine. He in
stsntly saw its correctness, explained and
declared its correctness officially, and
terminated all discussion by order
ing all future reports to be
made out according to it; and
bringing down his official fist'on the rude
table before him, declared that id thing
had cost him more trouble than all else
connected with the medical reports of the
| corns and he was clad IL was finally set
tied. All voted it had been a mighty
s'mean ratio" all were happy, and the
surgeons of that corps at least were es
sentially relieved of an unpleasant burden
from thenceforward, all through the agen
cy of that dream.
- for sure in sleep
| The soul hath enlarged capacity
/ ITnk n xuakf r,u hor1r